In the Rain
by DaughterOfTerpsichore
Summary: Three years ago. The rain peppered the pavement. Spot Conlon held the dying girl in his arms. By the time the sun had risen the next morning, Spot had gone. He had run away to Brooklyn. But now the mystery surrounding the girl's death unravels as a new set of circumstances threaten to open a door Spot locked long ago.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! I thought of this at midnight last night, and I just had to write it down. This is basically my version of Spot's backstory. I have been in love with Spot Conlon ever since discovering Newsies. 3 3 3**

 **Also, there is a mention of the Christian cross in this chapter. Please, don't be offended; it just made the most sense to me. Religion is not going to play a large part (if any) in this story. I'm agnostic, so that could get complicated and off-topic.**

 **Review, follow, and favorite! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: No matter how hard I try, I will probably never own Newsies. :'(**

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 **Chapter One**

 _Three years earlier_

The rain peppered the pavement. A twelve-year-old boy knelt next to a figure lying upon the ground. The moon was full that night, casting their world in an eerie silver glow.

A cap lay upside down in a puddle of rain and blood near the two silhouettes. It had been thrown from the boy's head hours ago.

The boy ran a hand through his brown hair, bleached blond by the sun at the top. The knees of his pants were soaked from the pool of scarlet blood leaking from a wound in the chest of the girl lying before him.

Her eyes were unnaturally bright. Their normal blue was reduced to a shiny obsidian tone. Her long blonde hair was matted with sticky red liquid. Her cheeks were flushed, and sweat clung to her hairline. Her rosy lips whispered, "Spot. Help me. Please." It was a struggle for her to speak. Each word cost precious energy and time. She let out a shaky breath and hissed, more forcefully now, " _Spot._ "

"I'm right here, I promise," said the boy, his voice hollow. He let out a soft sound, a whimper, as a single tear dropped from his emerald green eye. "Please, hear me, Kameron. I'm right here. I promise."

Urgently, she raised a shaking hand towards the stars. "Spot," she called out raspily. "Spot, where are you? Spot, help me!" Her voice ended in a shrill wail.

He began to cry harder. The rain and blood had drenched the two bodies, the boy and the girl. "Kameron," he said, cupping her cheek in his hand, "it's me, Spot. Hear me. Hear me!" He hollered the last two words into the open air of the silent city.

Kameron's hand flew to her cheek, grasping the boy's. "Spot," she murmured, "I feel your hand." Her expression turned anxious. With her other hand, she reached out, searching for the boy as if she were a blind old woman. Her hand met his knee, and she gripped his leg tightly with her weakened fingers. "Spot," she whispered.

"I'm here," the boy replied, stifling another sob. "I'll always be here."

"Remember when," she whispered, her voice barely audible, "we first met? I was...caught...in a trap…"

"Meant for me," the boy finished. The girl smiled weakly. Her fragile hand trembled on the boy's knee.

"Kiss me," she said.

He did.

The boy leaned in towards the dying girl, and they both closed their eyes as their lips met. He was careful not to hurt her.

She, however, gathered her last reserves of energy and gave them to Spot selflessly, putting the last of herself into the kiss.

When they finally broke apart, she smiled for the last time and said, "I will die happy, knowing that I was as loved by Spot Conlon as he was by me."

"No," Spot said, "you're not going to die. You can't. No." By now, even he knew he was lying to himself. He gathered the girl in his arms, cradling her head. "Please, Kam. Please. Don't die. You can't leave me. Please." At last he broke, sobbing into his lover's shoulder. He managed three more words. "I love you."

The dead girl's body began to cool in the freezing rain. The boy let out a wail. The sound echoed through the streets as the body became limp. He brought her to him, holding her close to his broken heart. "Oh, Kam, what am I ever going to do without you?" Finally, he lay her back down on the soggy pavement. "I love you so much," he gasped," and all I could ever do was hurt you. Who am I, the boy who got you into this mess, the boy who got you _killed_." He wasn't sure if he was talking to himself or her. He held her lifeless hand to her lips, feeling the steel ring around her fourth finger. Softly, he muttered, "I told you I would marry you one day. And then _I killed you_." _Stop it, Spot,_ said a voice in his head. _It's not your fault._ But it was. Oh, how it was.

He reached for his own hand, touching the identical ring there. And then he had an idea.

He unclasped the chain around his neck. It held a cross already, and slipped off his ring, sliding it onto the chain. Reaching out to the soaking body of the dead girl, he gently removed her ring and placed it beside his. Clasping the chain around his neck, he tucked it into his shirt and stood, picking up his sopping cap and shoving it mercilessly onto his head. He left the body. And he made a decision. He would escape. He would pay for his sins. He was going to Brooklyn.

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 **Yeah, I know that a twelve-year-old boy isn't likely to promise that he'll marry his girlfriend. But, peoples, this is 1896, and Spot has suffered enough cruelty to give him the maturity of one twice his age. What did you think? There's a friendly little button downstairs called "Review"! ;-) It would make my day. Follows and favorites are good too!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm sooooo sorry for not updating sooner! I'm trying to update all my stories now since I haven't touched a single one since August. I'm terribly, desperately, awfully sorry! I'm failing my duties as a writer :(**

 **Anyways, thank you so much to theater104, biankies, FansieFace, Elphabalover101, FortMcHenry12, Newsiesgirl3434, and musicalphan for reviewing! You are all amazing. Cookies for you (::) (::) Also, thank you to everyone who favorited and followed! I love you guys!**

 **This chapter isn't spectacular (I really love my first chapter), and I'm a little unsatisfied. However... BIG IMPORTANT STUFF COMING UP SOON!**

 **Also, please check out another one of my newsies fics, Shoes! It's a heck of a lot better (and longer) than this one, and I hope you all will like it.**

 **Without further ado, here is the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Newsies. :(**

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 **Chapter Two**

Spot Conlon stood upon the Brooklyn Bridge, surveying his kingdom. Absentmindedly, he fingered the rings hanging from a rusted chain around his neck. There had once been a cross alongside the rings, but it was long gone.

He smirked. This land was his. He had brought together a family of unbeatable, unbreakable newsboys, and he would not let them suffer in ways he had witnessed long ago. He would protect them with his life in ways he never could for the Manhattan newsies. He had taught them to fend for themselves, so nothing he ever did could hurt them. They would not be punished for his mistakes, he was sure of that.

Swallowing and holding the rings tightly in his fist, Spot tried to clear his mind. He was largely unsuccessful until he saw a small newsie from his perch on the bridge.

It was Birch, a seven-year-old boy who'd only recently joined the Brooklyn newsies. He was adept at fighting; he was far quicker than most of Spot's students. But he was also young, easily frightened, and nearly as emotionally scarred as Spot himself.

Before Birch stood a large, muscular man. Spot saw him taunting poor Birch, and he slyly moved from his lofty view, snake-like in his movement. He had a newsie to protect.

But first, he had to observe the fight he anticipated.

Birch trembled. The man leered at him and pulled back his fist, holding the boy's shoulder with his other hand.

Birch was frightened, but he had not forgotten his training. Quick as a wink, he darted out of the way, dodging the fist and unbalancing the man. While the man stumbled, Birch threw in a sharp jab at the man's stomach and ran.

Spot smirked at the newest addition to Brooklyn's newsies. Birch had a cool head and was able to think straight even when under attack. He would one day be invaluable.

A finger tapped his shoulder. "Eh, Spot. Watchin' the newbie?" Calf, Spot's wide-eyed second-in-command, elbowed him.

"Yeah, yeah," Spot said absentmindedly, jogging over to the bridge, already inhabited by a multitude of Brooklyn boys. Spot and Calf sat, legs swinging over the blackish-green New York water. After another minute or so of silence, Spot began to finger the rings again.

An eyebrow cocked, Calf glanced down at the Spot's fingers then back up at his face. "Spot. Calm down. Not ya fault."

"I—I know, I'm just…"

"I get it, I get it." Calf turned to face the water again. "I miss her too."

And with a single gunshot, Spot's life once again descended into chaos. Looking back on it, it was almost funny what Calf's last words had been. Why, he was about to join her.

The body seemed to fall forever, face down, spread-eagled with a growing splotch of dark red blood steadily seeping through the back of his shirt. With a sickening smack, Calf hit the water, sending a shallow splash of water upwards. Bystanders surrounding the incident were already gasping and shouting in mounting horror.

Spot leaped to his feet. "CALF!" he screamed. Another gunshot. A bullet flew over Spot's shoulder. Without hesitating, Spot dove into the water after his friend.

It was unbelievably murky. A dead, silvery fish floated next to Spot's face, its empty eyes glaring as it leisurely turned in twisted spirals. Under other circumstances, Spot would have recoiled in disgust, but these were anything but.

Blackish, oily water ran through Spot's hair. His newsie cap had fallen off as he dove. Spot hadn't even noticed.

Calf.

The body was already sinking. Spot could feel his throat beginning to constrict, his lungs screaming for air. But Calf was so close…

Spot dove deeper, ignoring the increasing pounding in his head. Resisting the urge to swim back to the surface and gulp in air, he kept going.

It was right in front of him. Spot grabbed the flesh-colored arm with both hands and shot to the surface almost as quickly as the bullet that had thudded into the middle of Calf's back.

Gasping, lungs heaving as they desperately panted, Spot swam to the shore. His legs were sore, and he strained to keep his own head above the surface and carry Calf's weight.

"Spot! Calf!" A young voice—Birch's—called out to the two. Spot swam to the shore, coughing and sputtering upon reaching it. Birch extended his hand, which Spot gratefully took, and dragged the older boy farther upon onto dry land. Together, they pulled Calf up as well.

He was already dead.

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 **There we have it! Friendly little button downstairs called review, and couple more called favorite and follow. Above all else, thank you to all you lovely readers! Love you guys!**

 **Once again, please take a look at my other newsies fic, Shoes. It would mean a lot to me. :)**

 **Have a wonderful week!**


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